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Pilots union renews call for sacking of Kenya Airways management

Kenya Airlines Pilots Union ( KALPA) has renewed its call for the Kenyan government to change the management of the national carrier Kenya Airways, in order to reverse the successive record loss making streak that has plagued the airline.

“The historic losses are a testament to what we have been saying all along that Kenya Airways is in desperate need of new leadership and direction,KAPLA Secretary General, Paul Gichinga ,said in a statement.

The historic losses are a testament to what we have been saying all along that Kenya Airways is in desperate need of new leadership and direction

The airline reported a net loss of 26.2 bshillings( $258m) in the year ending March, up from a net loss of 25.7 billion shillings, a year ago.

Analysts say in In the past five years, the stock has dropped 87 percent .

CEO, Mbuvi Ngunze, who took the helm in December 2014, has had a tumultuous reign but remains optimistic that the pride of Africa, which was Africa’s dominant airline just five years ago, will experience good fortunes in due time.

In February, Kenya Airways turned to global consulting firm McKinsey & Company to draw up a restructuring plan which includes laying off 600 employees, about 15 percent of its workforce.

In this turnaround strategy, the airline has shrunk its fleet by almost a third and also sold its valuable take-off and landing slot at London’s Heathrow airport.

However, the pilots union wants the airline to stop the retrenchment plan saying it is unfair and has further called on the airline to end its partnership with Dutch carrier KLM, arguing that it favours KLM at the expense of Kenya airways.